Sequoia “REDWOOD” Snyder has long been regarded as a rising star on the local scene; now, she is settling into life as a full-time artist. Her most recent single — a cover of DMX’s “Who We Be,” fusing a hip-hop classic with lush jazz arrangements and bold improvisation – showcases her increasing comfort with a broad musical palette, and it sets up REDWOOD’s ascent as one of the young masters of our time.

Snyder was born in D.C., and first returned to the District at age 10 after spending her early childhood in Fort Meyers, Fla. Upon graduating from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, she moved to East Lansing to attend Michigan State University, where she earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Jazz Studies. Now, she is returning to live and work in D.C. once again.

REDWOOD has already amassed a résumé of high-profile collaborations crossing generations and genres. At 25, she has performed with a range of jazz masters including Jason Moran, Kenny Barron, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Herbie Hancock, Terri Lyne Carrington, Christian McBride and Terell Stafford. In 2018, she supported The Internet at their Detroit tour appearance. She has also performed with R&B and jazz legend Patrice Rushen, organist Cory Henry, and Afrobeat star CKay.

She will make her Kennedy Center debut as a bandleader on Friday, with two sets at The Club at Studio K in The REACH. Her band will include Michigan-based drummer Caleb Robinson, bassist Jeremiah Edwards and guitarist Hugh Downs, both based in the District. The Kennedy Center appearance will mark her homecoming after nearly a decade away. From there, an upcoming tour will take REDWOOD as far afield as China.

Ahead of Friday’s show, she talked to CapitalBop about her hometown mentors, diverse musical inspirations, and what might be coming next.

CapitalBop: You’ll be at the Kennedy Center next month as a bandleader with growing national recognition. Does it feel like you’re coming home?

Sequoia “REDWOOD” Snyder: Oh, definitely…. A lot of my foundation, of course, is here [in D.C.], but a lot of the growing I’ve done musically is in Michigan. Over the past couple years, I’ve started being a bandleader in venues out there, some great venues, but I haven’t really done much as a bandleader here. It’s really nice to be able to have my loved ones and friends come out.

CB: It’s great that you’ve had those opportunities out in Michigan. Here in D.C., and in the Duke Ellington community in particular, there’s a strong culture of raising musicians to be very connected to the tradition, and to our local masters. What was your experience with that? Have you stayed connected with any of your mentors here? 

SS: Absolutely. My first jazz teacher, and the person I really have to credit with starting everything great that’s happened for me musically, is Davey Yarborough. I’m sure you’ve heard of him – amazing educator. I met him when I was 14. He set it up so that I could get a free piano from somebody who was donating one….

He opened up so many opportunities for me while I was in high school – and after – to perform with jazz legends. I performed at the White House for International Jazz Day before I even graduated high school. I met one of my other mentors, Dee Dee Bridgewater, before I graduated high school, and that’s all because of Davey. I met Herbie Hancock through him.

He’s always pushed me. I started playing the piano in high school, and he wasn’t worried about [the late start]. He was immediately pushing me.

CB: I want to talk more about who you’re growing into, and specifically the choice to go by REDWOOD. The connection might be obvious, given your birth name, but what does your name mean to you, and what do you want it to mean to your audiences? 

SS: It’s the name that different people in my family have always called me, a childhood nickname. But I decided to take it on in 2020, when I was getting really serious about my artistry. Not just being a musician, but having a full life in that lane. On the other hand, I also have a personal life. So that was really the inspiration behind it. 

I’m really into composing music. I love to direct musical experiences as well. I love to produce music, and I sing. All these things make up REDWOOD. I decided to stake that out as the artist, and then, obviously, I’m still a person — Sequoia.

CB: You’ve done both undergrad and grad school in East Lansing, and clearly had a formative experience at Ellington. Having spent so much time with music in academic settings, what’s next? 

SS: I’m really excited to get out there and create the life and career I want at this point. I did have some interest in some other programs, but right now, I’m just enjoying not being in school, and the freedom of being able to have control over my day, what I can get done. 

CB: You really have an interesting roster coming up, between the Kennedy Center, St. Louis and a tour in China.

SS: Yeah, in St. Louis I’m playing with Carmen Lundy. And then I’ll be in China with Ekep Nkwelle, who is also amazing. I went to Duke [Ellington] with her, and she’s absolutely killing it right now.

CB: How did that tour in China come about?

SS: Me and Ekep were in ninth grade together, we met as 14-year-olds. We were both taken under Mr. Yarborough’s wing, and we’ve always been super close. I have two songs out now that she’s on; over the years, we’ve always worked together, and she’s blasting off with her career. She went to Julliard for grad school, and she’s done so many amazing things. I feel blessed when I get the opportunity to play with her. 

This will be a tour of China that’s in conjunction with Jazz at Lincoln Center, Shanghai. I believe some of the details are still coming in, but it’s going to be good.

CB: It sounds like a lot of people have taken you under their wing. Jason Moran said that when he can’t do a gig, he recommends you. Where has that led you? 

SS: After I graduated with my bachelors, I lived in New York for a year before I went to get my masters. I had an opportunity to play with the New York City Ballet for a couple weeks because he was doing something else. I was working with Alonzo King [choreographer] and Tiler Peck, an amazing ballerina, playing a couple of [Moran’s] compositions.

I worked with another amazing bassist, too, Liany Mateo. We were featured on a PBS special about Jason Moran and Christian McBride. In that interview, they were asked who they considered to be their mentees, and they mentioned us. Liany is also one of my great friends from college, so that was an amazing opportunity.

Those are two big ones that stand out, but he’s definitely passed me a lot of opportunities over the years.

CB: Your recent DMX cover has made some pretty big waves. It’s a single; is there an album coming with it?

SS: I will say that there’s a project coming. I’m thinking more an EP, but I’m really feeling out this current space, the audience. There’s so many different types of music I have inside my brain, but I have been recording. I have a kind of a jazz EP that I want to release this year, so that’s next. I definitely have a project coming.

CB: What are you listening to right now?

SS: I always try to mix it up. I kind of think I get bored a little too easily, so I’ve been listening to some techno. Do you want to know the jazz?

CB: Sure, but tell us about the techno first.

SS: This artist Kaidi Tatham — he’s just dominating the earspace right now. He’s amazing. He plays keys.

I like listening to a lot of Marquis Hill. I’ve been listening to a lot of Carmen Lundy, obviously, getting ready for this show in St. Louis. What else? I’ve been listening to a lot of gospel music, that’s kind of my roots growing up at church. James Hall, he’s amazing.

I love hip-hop. That was some of the first music I listened to. I didn’t really grow up listening to a lot of jazz. It wasn’t until later that I started listening to jazz. I like Kendrick Lamar. He’s on a legendary run. 

CB: A little bit of everything.

SS: A little bit of everything!

Comments

comments